Transformational August

I would love to do this monthly blog post the same as all the previous months…but I am realizing I can’t. I’m sure I could make a neat new set of categories that my life could fall into again…but I would rather not. Let’s see what I can come up with this month…

The first 25 days of August were about me, my fellow Team Leaders, and preparing for the Corps Members’ arrival.  The last 6 days were all about taking care of the eight individuals assigned to me, meeting a boat load of people, and maintaining my sanity in every way possible (Spoiler alert: I’m still sane 70% of the time as of September 29, 2013).

The first twenty-five days of August were probably some of the best days of my entire life. If it were possible to do a year of growing up in just three and a half weeks, that is exactly what I did. The trainings we Team Leaders went through in these weeks put us in vulnerable positions physically, mentally, and emotionally. We participated in a Leadership Reactionary Course at Camp Shelby which put each and every one of us on the edge of our physical abilities, showcased our personal leadership styles, and especially tested our patience. Our brains and folders were stuffed full of information on SF-91s, incident reports, budgeting, conflict resolution tactics, and personality indicators. And most importantly for me, I got to be completely vulnerable to all of the many emotions that I have. Between the Hands of Peace and Diversity trainings alone I felt like a completely refreshed individual. These were the days that Team Green transformed from coworkers to friends in my heart. I am grateful every day for wonderful new family I have found here in Mississippi.

There are a few things in August that are too good to stay vague about:

Pick Up Lines: Perhaps it is because there is not much to do in Vicksburg…or perhaps we are just a group of weirdos at the Southern Region NCCC Campus but one day, we looked up a massive amount of pick-up lines. My favorite, by far, is this:

                “Kiss me if I’m wrong…but dinosaurs still exist, right?”

It makes me chuckle every time…except when people remind me that lizards or alligators or something are ancestors of dinosaurs. Let’s just ignore that part and appreciate the cute little trap the line puts you in, haha.

My Original Goofballs aka Group 6:
My Temporary Corps Members.

Zumba: So often when I was at Cal Poly I would hear about people going to “Zumba”…but I know what the dance rooms are like at the Poly gym—they’re made of glass and everyone passing can see in. No thanks! As a member of AmeriCorps NCCC, however, physical training is a requirement of my job…and on this campus we have a certified Zumba instructor on the staff. Naturally, Zumba is a bi-weekly part of our physical training and I could not be happier about it! Until I took Modern Dance the beginning of my senior year of college, I had no idea how much I loved being in tune with my body and music. I love the chance to indulge in this recently discovered passion of mine in a carefree and productive way.

Cedar Grove Missionary Baptist Church: My senior year of high school, my friend and I made it a part of our college bucket list to attend church at a stereotypical southern Baptist church. Because we attended school on the Central Coast of California, our opportunity to fulfill this goal was, well, impossible. Luckily I live in Mississippi now! This church, I can truthfully say, has been a huge factor in my quick “growing-up” process. Yes, church is sometimes a little too long and yes, I do still space out intermittently…but the powerful voices of the choir, the involvement of the youth, and the charisma of the Pastor keep me coming back every single week. Here are a few sermon quotes/song lyrics that have stuck with me:

 “What you need is already inside of you.”                

“Take the limits off.”                

“Stop spending today saying you’ll do better tomorrow.”                

“The Lord woke you up to be a blessing to someone else today.”

Spending Sundays in this church has not only helped me forgive those who have wronged me in the past but also myself for each of the little and big mistakes I have made over the years. I finally feel like I have started on a clean slate with myself…I now trust myself fully to be the person I am meant to be. No more stagnancy.

The beginning of August, I felt lost, anxious, and longing for forgiveness. The end of August, I was bombarded with responsibility and knew exactly what to do, turned anxiety into proactivity, and gifted myself a clean slate. August was a month of personal growth and trust me when I say this, September is full of all of that and even more. This program is already proving to be the most challenging, painful, stressful, exhausting, and fulfilling position I have ever held. I only wish that everyone gets an opportunity as precious as this in their own lives. I urge you to go out and find this equivalent for you. 

The Best Days are Running Days

Here is a real quick recap of just TODAY...

I woke up real early in the morning to a phone call from an old friend, while the timing was quite...unique...it was wonderful to catch up. I'm always grateful when people from the past reach out...I truly need to start doing that to more people more often. Perhaps that will be my goal this upcoming week :)

Since the Mississippi heat has been somewhat tame, two fellow Team Leaders and I decided to go on a little jog to a beautiful lookout over the Mississippi River. The exercise felt great, the view was breath-taking, and the company was even better. I'm finding that I am most rejuvenated after getting my butt up early in the morning, exercising, and having non-work related conversations with fellow Team Leaders. All of Team Green got so close in the month before the Corps arrival...and since then we've all been quite stagnant. It's days like today that I am truly grateful to have-- the opportunity to be a twenty-two year old making new friends in a new environment, seemingly "free" of responsibility. I've found that the most (and only) opportune times to indulge in that freedom is weekend mornings. I guess I'll have to practice getting my lazy butt up early 7 days a week just to maintain the peacefulness I've so successfully achieved here. That's definitely worth it, I'd say. 

Today marks the 8th day of being with my permanent team. We are Bayou 6: The Sassy Six. This afternoon, we embarked on our first road trip as a group...and so far, so good :) The getting ready and packing was stressful and the car ride was quite squishy...but we ended the day on an incredibly high note: We have officially finalized our team cheer. It was great to see so many different types of individuals get excited about one mutual thing. I hope we can maintain this unity throughout the year...I can't wait to call these young people my new family. It makes me excited to see the progress we've already made in just one week :) 

To close out for the night...I'm feeling very fulfilled here and incredibly peaceful. I've began making better choices in my personal and social life in order to be happier in all the other aspects of life. I've kept in touch a decent amount with people back home, I've been writing every day (but obviously not in my blog...sorry!), and I've been taking the necessary me-time that I so desperately desire (and require). Some days are stressful and frustrating, but there is always something that picks me up before the day is done. I am grateful for all of Team Green for listening to me vent and sharing their stories with me. I am grateful for all of Bayou Six: The Sassy Six...I cannot wait to grow friendship in ways that I never have before. And I am grateful for the entire staff at the Southern Region AmeriCorps NCCC campus for always being so encouraging, supportive, and simply enjoyable to be around. Every single day of this program I am further convinced that this is exactly where I am supposed to be. 

Thank you for reading tonight's issue of my stream of consciousness, haha. More posts to come after this awesome camping trip :) Good Night!